Mmmbeats

Usability - yes it's subjective, but having used both systems I can say that they are streets apart in terms of the ease of use of the menu buttons, function set, and general workflow. This is a general Panasonic advantage over Sony I think (I'm no fanboi, I know full well that Sony have their own advantages - but making their gear easy to use hasn't generally been one of them in my experience). Reliability - I've experienced no reliability problems with either system, but all the overheating stuff I've read about would seriously concern me if I was a potential owner. Also, I'm referencing things like battery life, which I've always found better to manage on the GH5. Portability - Real world use, the a7S is almost always going to be a bigger, heavier package because of the full-frame glass. Adaptability - there's no incentive to adapt down from FF. GH5 users adapt all kinds of lenses, all the time. Again, real world usage, the GH5 is going to be more usefully adaptable by far. a7S wins for low light (obviously). Picture quality I don't think there's much in it. I'm always happy with the results I get, and always see fantastic footage around from both systems. Sensor size is completely meaningless to me, and I don't understand why other shooters are hung up on it (bearing in mind that the GH5 produces stunning images, and can be made to shoot extremely shallow DoF if required).

If it helps I think this is a good mental checklist - 1) Shutter speed - (180 degrees, so no need to worry about that). 2) ISO - (Native ISO, or as low as possible, so no need to worry about that for now) 3) Now select aperture to match your intention for the shot. This is a really key thing, because depth-of-field is a really powerful tool in your storytelling arsenal. In my opinion - use shallow depth of field sparingly - when you really want to heighten the sense of isolation of the subject. Also, remember that contrast within a story is important - so sometimes deep DoF, sometimes shallow, sometimes inbetween. Think about the story relationship between the subject and the surroundings! Back to exposure - So you've selected your shutter speed, provisional ISO, and aperture.... 4) Underexposed? Increase the ISO, or lighting if possible. Your camera will have a maximum usable ISO that you will have to discover for yourself in terms of acceptable noise. 5) Overexposed? Add ND, or reduce lighting if possible. That might seem like a lot to think about, but honestly, I do all of the above in a matter of seconds before I hit record. It just becomes instinctive. Some curve balls - There's a tiny bit of leeway around the 180 degree rule. You can adjust Shutter Speed a little bit here and there and get away with it if you need to. Best to stick to 180 degrees most of the time though. Another exception is if you're doing a shot with literally no movement, like a product shot or a cut-away. Then the 180 degree rule goes out of the window and you can use even very high shutter speeds with no problems. Having said that you should make your aperture the creative decision and then base your other settings on that, sometimes you have to compromise. Especially, you will sometimes not have enough light available for the aperture you desire, and have to shoot more open than you would ideally like, at least that is my experience.

Of course all of the excitement over the camera is contingent on it performing well photographically. I'm encouraged by the skintones we've seen in the few clips so far. Panasonic have always gotten that right so far on the GH series (albeit using more conventional sensor technology), so I think that's the reason you're seeing it taken for granted a little for now.

Yes - think of it as learning a skill that requires muscle-memory, like driving a car or whatever.

If you think the a7S is a better camera than the GH5 then you are using a very selective set of criteria. They are both great systems, but the GH5 also has great picture quality, and wipes the floor with the Sony device in terms of usability, reliability, portability, and adaptability.

Yes, the loss of IBIS is a big blow. *sigh* If we had started with a camera with low-light capability but no IBIS, and moved to the original GH5, we would be complaining about the loss of sensitivity! The truth is that both cameras are each missing a great feature. I find a monopod the best solution for fast-moving situations, but they don't offer perfect stabilisation, so it's a compromise. I'm almost certainly going to get the GH5s - it's basically the answer to my biggest area of need. I'd like to know people's thoughts about the following options: 1) a GX80 (GX85) as a B-cam, and for grab-and-go IBIS action. 2) a GH5 as a tandem cam (using the GH5s when the occasion requires, GH5 as an alternative A-cam and backup). Would this be a ridiculous investment, given that it takes you close to the price of a full cinema camera?

It's all quite subjective, of course. My own experience is that the wide open apertures are still at most distances 'shallow'. I often film two people talking, and only one is in focus. Not only is the viewers gaze drawn away from the, sometimes telling, reaction of the listening figure, but many of the nuances of the interaction are lost in the blur, even if it is slight. Similarly when there is a speaker on stage as part of a panel and I'm picking up shots from the side of the stage (sometimes these events are set up in halls without stage lighting rigs). I get a nice crisp shot of the speaker, but often wish I could simultaneously bring in the facial reactions of the other panellists. It's all about choices really. Of course the ability to isolate the subject is also important, and I think a lot of 'full frame' enthusiasts would be amazed at how good these GH series cameras are at doing that with shallow DoF when required. It's going to be the difference in limited light situations between having one option - 'shallow' (even if you want to label it 'not THAT shallow'), and having a range of depth of field options available to help direct your audience's experience.

I'm delighted about the improved ISO performance. My situation is that I do a lot of work in museums and galleries and environments where the lighting is deliberately subdued, yet I have to work as unobtrusively as possible. I absolutely love working with the GH series cameras but often struggle with exposure in some quite basic situations (on the occasions where I simply can't affect the lighting). To qualify that a bit - I very, very rarely end up in a situation where I can't expose the image. f/1.4 on a speedboosted lens usually does the trick, and I'm sure the same would be true of f/0.95 on a native lens, but I hate being stuck with that as an option so often. That razor-thin DoF is just not the right choice for so much of what I want to capture. If we really are looking at a 3 stops or so ISO performance advantage over the GH5 then that is a massive, and for me game-changing advance. To put it in context that would be an increase over my current workhorse GH4 of 16 x the usable light-gathering!!! And that might even be a conservative estimate. I'm looking forward to two things - exposing at a range of apertures in challenging lighting situations to suit my storytelling ideas (without having to hire in a A7S just for the purpose!); and getting a decent all-purpose f2.8 zoom so I don't have to keep swapping out lenses in the middle of busy events, etc. That's alone is going to be a Godsend. I just wouldn't have been able to rely on the low-end exposure before. Bummer about IBIS though, obviously.

It's all just dependant on your need, isn't it? I've been crying out for a couple of stops more useable ISO from this range. I would have happily paid £1000 if it came as some kind of paid firmware update. It is the only thing preventing the GH5 from being the perfect production tool for my needs. So this ISO boost is a hallelujah moment for me personally. Losing IBIS does take a bit of the gloss off, but it's still looking like a dream package for what i require.

The problem with the GH5 is not setting timecode, but jamming or syncing to other devices. This is actually a serious problem specifically because it is such a good potential B-cam.

That might have made it a bit easy to confuse with the, erm... EVA-1.

No red button pal.

You GH5 owners are gonna have to paint that button red or hang your heads in shame. I'm sure someone will make a decal kit with the red ring also.

https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/panasonic/143217-panasonic-ces-2018-press-conference-how-to-watch-it

Presser in 2 hours, no? Extra hour for the embargo I assume.

Which aspect did you find dubious? Seems all very much as so far touted to me.

The GH5 is an excellent professional tool, and will remain so when this partner version comes out.

I think you might be missing the point I'm trying to make. It's not that the GH series are not professional tools (I use them on most shoots, and make my living that way!). It's about an economy of scale. The only way Panny can make a 2k-ish camera work financially is for it to have a wide global reach. We occupy quite a blinkered filmmaker bubble, and assume that other users share our obsessions. But Joe in his garage is probably a more typical Panasonic customer than you or I, and he's never heard of Zacutto, etc. I just feel like this camera is going to be niche marketed in a slightly different way from its siblings. Eta this was in response to an earlier post by @jonpais

The consumer/pro distinction to a Corporation like Panasonic is more about marketing and sales reach than the strength of it's features. For a camera to sell in the consumer space it has to appeal to the (fairly wealthy) enthusiast hobbyist, who likes to have the best gear for his/her travel shoots, etc. but isn't a pro. That market is numerically much much bigger than the pro market. Pro stuff has a much narrower appeal, but the buyer is willing to pay more because they are using it to service their income. I'm seeing a camera that, unlike the GH5 and the G9 is not designed much to appeal to Joe in his converted garage space who likes to keep up with tech, but to the same kind of people who would buy the EVA-1, or a Varicam.

Not that it really matters, but are we sure this being released by P consumer rather than P pro? It seems like a pro-orientated release to me.

On most video camera systems your exposure options are quite limited anyway. Presuming you want to shoot 180 degree shutter, that's your shutter speed locked off. ISO is something you will only want to use up to a certain limit on most systems, so not much leeway there. Aperture (can you believe I've started typing Apurture (the lighting company) as a habit now - they'll be pleased!) should as much as possible be a creative rather than purely exposure choice. So, yeah, Vari ND is often the most flexible option, albeat one that comes with it's own issues in terms of picture quality. Exposure needs to be done very quickly (which simply means - practice, practice, practice) on a shot-by-shot basis. With video you are mainly juggling three balls - lighting, aperture, and ND. ISO / gain is there for emergencies!

What I mean is detailed sensor manufacturing info. That wouldn't ordinarily come with the distributor brief. It's the kind of info that had to be worked out by hackers for the GH5.

I find it strange that people would be getting firm info about the sensor. This is info that panny would want to keep under wraps even after the launch ordinarily, and not the sort of thing that distributers, etc. would be briefed on. Also - is this camera being launched by the consumer department or the pro department?

Surely @Neumann Films wasn't showing us the (dual) base ISO's, was he???

Can dual iso be implemented on that sensor?